Method of erecting storage structures

ABSTRACT

A method of erecting a permanent silo structure including the steps of assembling a plurality of transversely precurved, coiled wall members around the perimeter of a base, with the free ends of the wall members extending vertically upwardly and terminating in a common horizontal plane; inserting filler members between each of the wall members to create a sealed structure; assembling a roof to the free ends of the wall members; incrementally applying an upward force to unroll the coiled wall members to elevate the structure; and securing compressive members in vertically spaced positions around the perimeter of the wall members and filler members after each increment of upward force is applied.

Unite States Ferris et al.

[54] METHOD OF ERECTING STOGE [451 May 30, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS STRUCTURES 14,957 8/1895 Great Britain ..l60/243 [72]Inventors; Robert Fen-is Harvard Howard 634,900 7/1963 Belgium ..l60/243Ferris, Gulfport, Fla. Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott [73] Asslgnee:Starling Assistant Examiner-James L. Ridgill, Jr. [22] Filed; July 2,1970 AttorneyHofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord pP 52,049 57ABSTRACT Related U.S. Application Data A method of erecting a permanentsilo structure including the steps of assembling a plurality oftransversely precurved, [62] 32 5 1967 coiled wall members around theperimeter of a base, with the free ends of the wall members extendingvertically upwardly and terminating in a common horizontal plane;inserting filler 2? members between each of the wall members to create asealed "5 l6O/243 structure; assembling a roof to the free ends of thewall mem- 1 0 226/] B 5 bers; incrementally applying an upward force tounroll the coiled wall members to elevate the structure; and securingcompressive members in vertically spaced positions around [56]References Cited the perimeter of the wall members and filler membersafter UNITED STATES PATENTS each increment Of upward force is applied.

3,256,895 6/1966 Duquette ..52/2 12 Claims, 37 Drawing Figures K f. 2722.56 52 60 2.58 n 782/ Patented May 30, 1972 3,665,671

9 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIEMFIEJE FIE-15 u n I UJ (1M 144? I] [I H II II II HM,l I I ll Ill 5;; 23 f m ii y F'IEil Patented May 30, 1972 3,665,671

9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 30, 1972 3,665,671

F'II

Patented May 30, 1972 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented May 30, 1972 3,665,671

9 Sheets-Sheet 8 1 w i J b15335 METHOD OF ERECTING STORAGE STRUCTURESCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a divisionof our copending application 684,366, filed Nov. 20, 1967, and issuedSept. 29, 1970. as U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,628.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past, silo type structures forstorage of flowable material have been formed from many differentmaterials and by many different methods. For example, it has been knownto form silos of steel; stone; mortar; wood staves; tile; bricks; pouredin place concrete; concrete staves; steel coated with zinc, glass, orepoxy resins; and plastic reinforced with glass fibers. The methods ofconstructing silage storage structures from the above materials are asdiverse as the materials themselves.

One of the earliest forms of silage storage structure was formed offield stone and mortar, and this construction not only required anexcessive amount of labor to erect, but also the resulting structureswere limited to small diameters and were very weak against pressure.Furthermore, the heights of such structures were quite limited, as theyhad to be hand filled and emptied. Such structures also requiredinternal staging during erection, and all material had to be elevated tothe top of the structure. Resistance to silage acids was poor, andbecause of the many problems inherent in such structures, they are nolonger in use.

Wood stave silage storage structures commonly used staves ft. long,which included mating tongues and grooves along opposite edges of thestaves to assemble them to one another. Circumferential hoops usuallysurrounded the staves to maintain the integrity of the resulting wallstructure. Wood stave structures required external staging duringerection, and it was difficult to erect a wall structure more than onestave high at a time, because of wind problems and the difficulty ofhandling the long staves. Corrosion resistance of such structures wasfair, but they were extremely weak when empty, due to swelling andshrinking which was more pronounced as the diameter of the structureincreased. Wood roofs added to the problems inherent in wood stavestructures, and because of the many deficiencies of such structures,they are no longer used.

Silage storage structures formed of bricks, concrete or tile block,bonded together with mortar and including buried hoops, were generallyerected with internal staging to hoist all materials to the top of thestructure during construction. Such structures usually included wood ormetal roofs, and it was found that such structures were weak againsthydrostatic pressure, resulting in leakage, frost damage and corrosionproblems. In view of these problems, such structures have alsoeffectively disappeared from the scene.

Poured in place concrete silos using slip forms with buried reinforcinghoops are in common use today, and such a construction is particularlyused in silos of large diameters and height. By proper selection ofaggregates, structures having adequate wall strength are produced, butsuch a construction requires a much greater amount of material than thatused in any other construction. Usually such structures are providedwith a poured concrete roof and internal staging is usually utilized tohoist all materials to the different levels of the slip forms.

Concrete precast stave silos with external reinforcing hoops have beenthe most popular in the recent past for structures of large diameter andheight. Such structures have been substantially liquid tight and haveshown good corrosion resistance, particularly when the interior of thestructure is epoxy coated. With this type of structure, internal stagingis required and all materials are hoisted to the work level. Concretestave silos have commonly used roof structures formed of metal, orplastic reinforced with glass fibers, assembled and secured from theinternal staging. The weight of concrete stave silos is substantial, andis approximately three and one-half times that of a comparable steelsilo, although the weight is somewhat less than a poured-in-placeconcrete silo. For example, a silo 24 ft. in diameter X 70 ft. high hasapproximately 2,400 staves, each 30 inches X 10 inches X 3 inches andweighing approximately 75 lbs., with the entire structure weighing inthe neighborhood of 280,000 lbs. Ancillary parts, including hoops,fasteners and the roof structure, will increase the total weight by anadditional 5,0006,000 lbs. Such structures are extremely difficult andcostly to assemble, and it has been found that it takes a team of fourmen working 7 hours a day approximately 12 days to complete the assemblyof a concrete stave silo.

Steel silos, formed of a plurality of flanged sheets approximately 2feet X 3 feet in size bolted to one another through the flanges, are inuse today, and although such structures were originally galvanized,today they are conventionally epoxy coated for improved corrosionresistance. Such structures are characterized by extremely highfabrication and erection costs, because a typical 24 ft. diameter X 70ft. high structure requires about 15,000 fasteners.

Silos formed of a plurality of overlapped and bolted glass coated steelsheets are also well known and in common use, and although corrosionresistance is good with such steel structures, their cost is alsoextremely high. For example, in a 24 ft. diameter X 70 ft. highstructure, approximately 162 4 ft. X 8 ft. sheets are required weighingapproximately 46,800 lbs., necessitating the use of around 7,000fasteners. While such steel structures provide excellent storage, theirassembly costs are undesirably high. For example, it has been found that8 to 9 days are required for a team of five men to assemble such a silo.Erection of such structures has also proven to be troublesome, in thatthe conventional method of assembling the roof structure to the top rowof sheets on the ground and then elevating the structure as eachsucceeding row of sheets is assembled, has proven to be difficult tocontrol.

It has also been proposed to form silos of aluminum or plasticreinforced with glass fibers by the method described in the precedingparagraph, but these structures have the same inherent disadvantages andtheir only advantage is in weight reduction.

SUIVIIvIARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprehends a methodof constructing a structure including a wall defined by a plurality ofstaves each of which has a length substantially equal to the height ofthe building, with each stave precurved and rolled into an easilytransportable coil so that all the coils may be mounted upon a structurebase and unrolled simultaneously. Filler members are secured betweenadjacent staves to provide a sealed structure. The filler members mayalso be coiled in lengths equal to the height of the building; or may bein short lengths that are inserted end to end between the staves. A roofstructure preferably is assembled to the staves before unrolling of thestaves begins, and compressive members are secured around the wallstructure at vertically spaced positions as the staves and fillermembers are elevated.

The above method, and storage structures erected thereby, have manyadvantageous features not present in prior art methods andconstructions; and thus one of the principal objects of the invention isto provide a novel structure and method of constructing the same whichwill have an original material cost equal to or less than structures ofthe prior art, and a construction cost considerably less than structuresof the prior art. Accordingly, it is a further object of the inventionto provide a structure and method wherein the construction elements aredesigned so as to take advantage of relatively sophisticated fabricationequipment, whereby a majority of the elements can be prefabricated at asingle plant to minimize per unit cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage structure whichsignificantly reduces the number of different pieces, and whichmaximizes the size of the wall staves or sheets to minimize the numberof handling and fastening operations during erection.

Still another object of the invention is to design the components of astorage structure so that they are compact and light in weight, with allof the elements of a 24 ft. diameter X 70 ft. high silo beingtransportable to an erection site on two semi-trailer trucks.

Still another object of the invention is to greatly reduce the number offasteners required during assembly, and to provide an arrangement wheresubstantially all of the manual labor may be done at ground level.

Flowable material is used in the present application to define broadlyany liquid or particulate solid material the characteristics of whichare such that it may flow; even though, in the case of such flowablematerials as silage, the material is sufficiently gummy that it does notflow freely and may actually need to be mechanically moved under certainconditions. It is apparent that the present disclosure is applicable tostorage structures for liquids, free-flowing granular or particulatesolids, and relatively sticky chopped or comminuted materials such assilage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description taken in connectionwith the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a broken, side elevational view of a silo constructed inaccordance with the method of the present inventron;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the base of the siloprior to assembly of the side wall staves thereto;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the base illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken side elevational view of a side wall stavemember prior to coiling of the same;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG.4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of a coiled side wall stavemember mounted upon a carrying cradle;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a central sectional view on a reduced scale through the baseof the silo, with the coil cradles assembled around the peripherythereof;

F IG. 9 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a central sectional view similar to FIG. 8, with the roofstructure assembled to the upper ends of the side wall stave members;

FIG. 11 (on sheet with FIG. 1) is an enlarged, broken side elevationalview of a filler member that is adapted to be inserted between adjacentside wall stave members;

FIG. 12 (on sheet with FIG. 1) is a broken front elevational view of thefiller member illustrated in FIG. 1 1;

FIG. 13 (on sheet with FIG. 1) is a sectional view taken generally alongline 1313 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 (on sheet with FIG. 1) is an enlarged, broken side elevationalview of a modified form of filler member;

FIG. 15 (on sheet with FIG. 1) is a cross sectional view taken generallyalong line 15-15 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a plan view of a modified form ofinsert member usable in a filler member such as that illustrated in FIG.14;

FIG. 17 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a side elevational view taken alongline 17-17 ofFIG. 16;

FIG. 18 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a plan view of a still furthermodified form of insert member;

FIG. 19 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a side elevational view taken alongline 19--19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a plan view of another form of insertmember;

FIG. 21 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a side elevational view taken alongline 2121 ofFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is an enlarged, fragmentary plan view ofan edge portion of a filler member, which modification may be employedwith any of the above illustrated filler members;

FIG. 23 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is an enlarged, fragmentary sideelevational view of a modified form of filler member;

FIG. 24 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is a sectional view taken generallyalong line 24-24 of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 (on sheet with FIG. 10) is an enlarged fragmentary sideelevational view of still another form of filler member;

FIG. 26 (on sheet with FIG.v 10) is a sectional view taken generallyalong line 26-26 of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a plan view, and FIG. 28 is a central sectional view of asilo structure with the angle members omitted for clarity, andillustrating a first method for elevating the side wall staves;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged central sectional view through a silo structurewith the angle members omitted for clarity, and illustrating a secondmethod of elevating the side wall staves;

FIG. 30 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 30-30of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a plan view, and FIG. 32 is a central sectional view of asilo structure, and illustrating a still further method of elevating theside wall staves;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 3333 ofFIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a central sectional view through a partially elevated silostructure, and illustrating a further method for elevating the side wallstructure of the silo;

FIG. 35 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of the structure forassembling cross-braces to an upright in the apparatus used inconnection with the method illustrated in FIG. 34;

FIG. 36 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the bracing structure usedin connection with the method illustrated in FIG. 34; and

FIG. 37 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing an illus trativemeans of temporarily securing the coil cradles to the base of the silostructure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT While this invention issusceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in thedrawings and will herein be described in detail several embodiments ofthe invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is tobe considered as an exemplification of the principles of the inventionand is not intended to limit the invention to the embodimentsillustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in theappended claims.

I. The Silo Structure Generally Referring now to the drawings in detail,the silo of the present invention is illustrated in its entirety byreference numeral 50 in FIG. 1, and is seen to include a base 52, wallstructure 54, and roof structure 56. The methods and structures of thepresent invention will be described in connection with a silo that is 24ft. in diameter and ft. high, although it will be appreciated that theprinciples of the invention will apply to both larger and smaller silostructures.

A. The Silo Base As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, base 52 is a generallycylindrical concrete member that extends about 4 ft. above grade. Base52 is preferably provided with a passage 58 that opens to one side toafford access to a bottom silo unloader; and base 52 further includes acentral opening 60 for reception of internal staging, as will hereafterappear. A plurality of circumferentially spaced, generally L-shapedarcuate angle members 62 are provided around the periphery of base 52,and an inwardly directed flange 64 of each member 62 is secured to thebase 52 by suitable fasteners 66. The arcuate, vertically extendingflange 68 of each member 62 is positioned in substantial alignment withthe outer periphery of base 52, and each portion 68 is provided with aplurality of openings 70 (FIG. 2) for reception of fasteners to securethe lower end of the wall stave members to be subsequently described. Aplurality of spaced sets of anchors 72 are provided around base 52 belowthe upper end thereof, and each anchor 72 includes an internallythreaded bore 74 (FIG. 44) which may receive bolt 76 to removably securewall stave holding cradles to the base, as will hereinafter appear. Base52 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, verticallyextending cored out recesses 73 in the outer face thereof to facilitateinsertion of filler members between the wall stave members duringerection of the silo side wall structure, as will hereinafter appear.Nineteen 4 ft. wide staves are needed for a 24 ft. diameter silo, sothat 19 recesses 73 are required for the vertical joints betweenadjacent staves.

B. The Wall and Roof Wall structure 54 is defined by a plurality ofidentically shaped stave members 78, each having a length substantiallyequal to the height of the structure. Staves 78 may be formed of sheetmaterials such as steel, aluminum, plastic reinforced with glass fibersor the like; and the staves may be transversely precurved duringmanufacture (FIG. 5). Even if flat, they are stressed to a curved shapewhen assembled and compressed by circumferential bands, so that ineither case they form a substantially cylindrical enclosure. The uprightportions 68 of members 62 may be secured to the concrete form when thebase 52 is poured, so they are firmly embedded in the base and havetheir faces flush with its upright surface. Each stave 78 has a line ofopenings 80 (FIG. 4) across its lower end that is positioned inalignment with the openings 70 in angle member portions 68, so thatbolts 81 (FIG. 1) impaling the aligned openings may positively securethe staves to the base. Minor variations in stave length areaccommodated by letting the lower ends of the staves extend over theside of the base if necessary. A line of openings 82 is provided acrossthe upper end of each stave member 78 to receive fasteners for securingthe roof structure 56 to the stave members.

The present invention contemplates that any suitable form of roofstructure 56 may be used; and in the illustrated embodiments the roofstructure 56 is shown to comprise a plurality of segments 84 secured toone another, with flanges 86 at the lower ends of the segments 84embracing the outer periphery of the stave members 78 and havingopenings (not shown) aligned with the openings 82 in the stave members,so that fasteners 88 can pass through the aligned openings andpositively secure the roof structure 56 to the wall structure 54.

The present invention contemplates that the silo 50 will be effectivelysealed to prevent putrefaction and resultant spoilage of silage; and tothis end, filler member illustrated in FIGS. 11-26 may be securedbetween adjacent stave members, or the adjacent stave members may besecured to one another without the interposition of additional fillermembers, as disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 684,366,filed Nov. 20, 1967. A plurality of vertically spaced steel bands 89extend circumferentially around the staves and filler members; and eachband is drawn tight to apply a compressive force to the silo side wallstructure. Conveniently the bands may be similar to those used forbanding packages, pipe, lumber and general cargo so that common bandingequipment may be used to tension each band and fasten its ends together.II. The Staves and Coil Cradles The stave members, either transverselyprecurved or flat, are coiled as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 upon asuitable cradle assembly 90. Cradles 90 are defined by a frame structureincluding a pair of spaced elongate frame members 92 that are joined atopposite ends by transversely extending members 94. Further, framemembers 96 extend upwardly from the outer edges of frame members 92, andtransverse frame members 98 extend between upright frame members 96 atopposite ends thereof. Spaced rolls 100, 102 and 104 extend betweenframe members 96, and as is best seen in FIG. 6, the convolutions ofcoiled staves 78 are wound beneath central roll 102 and rest upon outerrolls 100 and 104. Straps 106 are secured around the coiled stavemembers and retain them in a coiled condition, with a free end 784 ofthe stave member extending upwardly from strap 106.

Cradles include means for removably supporting the same upon the silobase 52, and to this end, a frame member 108 is secured to frame member98 and extends outwardly of frame members 92 and forwardmost framemember 94. The sides of frame member 108 are inclined as shown at 108aand 108b in FIG. 7, so that the cradle assemblies 90 may be assembledaround the silo base without interfering with one another. Convergingframe members 110 extend upwardly from the edges 108a and 108k of member108, and are secured to frame members 98 and a mounting frame member 112at the forward edge of member 108. Mounting frame member 112 has acurvature corresponding substantially to the curvature of silo base 52,so as to fit substantially flush against the outer periphery of the silobase; and a plurality of openings 114 (FIG. 6) are provided in the upperend of mounting member 112 to be positioned in registry with thethreaded openings 74 in anchors 72, so that the bolts 76 may removablysecure the cradles to the silo base. One or more strengthening braces 116 may extend between mounting member 112 and transverse member 98.

III. Filler Members A. First Form of Filler: H-Shaped A first form ofthe filler member to be inserted between each adjacent pair of stavemembers will be best understood from FIGS. 11-13; and as is seen in FIG.13, filler member 120 is generally H-shaped in cross section andincludes a central portion 122 having transverse flanges 124 at its endwhich cooperate with the central portion to define oppositely facingnotches or openings 126. Each flange 124 has a curved outer face 124a,and a plurality of vertically spaced recesses 128 are provided in theface 124a to receive the bands 89. An adhesive and sealing material 130is provided on both faces of central portion 122 to positively secureand seal the filler member to the opposed facing edges of adjacent stavemembers 78. The upper end of each filler member 120 is preferablyrounded, as shown at 120a, and the lower end of each filler member 120is preferably provided with a rounded recess 1201; which receives therounded-upper end 120a of a vertically abutting filler member 120therein to nest the filler members together and center them with respectto one another. Filler member surfaces 120b are also preferably providedwith an adhesive sealing substance to positively seal abutting fillermembers to one another and insure a sealed silo structure. In anillustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein the stave members 78are approximately one-fourth inch in thickness, filler members 120 areapproximately 1 inch in effective diameter, and the notches 126 areapproximately one-fourth inch in width. The filler members 120 may beapproximately 30 inches long, so that 28 filler members will be requiredbetween each pair of adjacent stave members for a 70 ft. silo. Therecesses 128 extend approximately one-eighth inch inwardly of the outerperiphery of the filler members and are approximately 2 inches long. Thefiller members are preferably formed of a somewhat flexible materialsuch as plastic reinforced with glass fibers although aluminum and steelare also satisfactory. The invention also contemplates a single fillermember 120, having a length substantially equal to the height of thestructure, which may be provided between adjacent staves 78; and in thisinstance, the filler members would be coiled in a manner similar tostaves 78 to facilitate storage, transportation, and assembly.

1. Modified I-I-Shape with Reinforcing Discs A further form of fillermember is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, and filler member 140 isshaped generally the same as filler member 120 except that the notches146 between flanges 144 are tapered to facilitate insertion of thefiller members 140 between adjacent stave members. The filler member 140is adapted to be formed from a flexible plastic material, such asplastic reinforced with glass fibers; and generally hexagonal metalreinforcing discs 150 (FIG. 15) are provided at suitably spacedintervals throughout the length of each filler member. Discs 150 havenotches 151 at their opposite sides so that the discs are generallyI-I-shaped, with a central portion 152 of the discs extending across thecentral portion of the tiller member 140, and transverse flanges 153 ofthe discs extending across the flanges 144 of the filler member. Thesides of notches 151 are tapered, so as to be disposed in alignment withthe sides of the longitudinal grooves 146 in the filler members. Discs150 are preferably stamped from sheet stock, and the H-shapedconfiguration is provided by pressing oppositely extending arrowheadshaped tabs 154 and 155 outwardly from the plane of disc 150.Triangularly shaped openings are formed in the flanges 153 of the disc150 by pressing oppositely extending triangularly shaped tabs 156 and157 outwardly from the plane of disc 150, and tabs 154-157 cooperate toserve as reinforcing ties in the plastic material. It should beunderstood, of course, that the discs 150 are spaced sufficiently fromone another so that the filler member 140 is somewhat flexible tofacilitate coiling of the filler members and insertion thereof betweenadjacent staves 78.

2. Alternate Forms of Reinforcing Discs for l-I-Shaped Filler Furtherforms of reinforcing discs are illustrated in FIGS. 16-22. The insertdisc embodiments of FIGS. 16-22 are all similar to the insert discembodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15, so that similar reference numerals havebeen used to indicate corresponding elements, with the referencenumerals of the embodiment of FIGS. 16 and 17 being primed, thereference numerals of the embodiment of FIGS. 18 and 19 being doubleprimed, and the reference numerals of the embodiment of FIGS. 20 and 21being triple primed. The insert disc 150' of FIGS. 16 and 17 issubstantially the same as that of FIGS. 14 and except that the notches151' in opposite sides of the disc have parallel sides, rather thaninclined sides as in the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15. The insert disc150' is to be used in flexible material such as plastic, or the like,that is shaped as shown in FIG. 13 wherein the sides of the longitudinalgrooves 126 are parallel to one another. In the insert disc 150",illustrated in FIGS. and 21, the upwardly and downwardly extending tabs154" and 155' are struck from the sides of the openings 151" in oppositesides of the insert disc, so that the oppositely extending tabs 154" and155" are laterally offset from and parallel with one another. In theinsert disc 150", illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19, upwardly anddownwardly extending tabs 154a" and 155a" and l54b and 1551) areprovided at opposite sides of each notch 151", with the oppositelyextending tabs being positioned in laterally spaced parallelrelationship with one another. Each of the insert discs 150, 150, 150",and 150" may have the edge thereof serrated, as shown at 159 in FIG. 22,to enlarge the area of contact between the insert discs and the materialof the filler members. B. Second Form of Filler: T-Shape Turning now toFIGS. 23 and 24, a further form of filler member 160 is illustratedtherein which is generally T-shaped in cross section and which includesan upright portion 162 and a generally semi-cylindrical transverselyextending head portion 164 having a rounded outer surface 1644. Headportion 164 has substantially flat surfaces 164b and 164c at oppositesides of upright portion 162 which are positioned in face abuttingengagement with the inner surfaces alongside the upright edges ofadjacent stave members 78, while the upright portion 162 of fillermember 160 extends between the edges of adjacent stave members 78 andhas faces 162a and 162b abutting said edges. A plurality of openings166, one of which is shown in FIG. 23, are provided in the uprightportion 162 of filler member 160 immediately outside the front surfacesof the stave members. The openings 166 in the filler members 160 arehorizontally aligned to receive the compressive bands 89. As with thefiller members 120 and 140, filler members 160 may be in short lengths,or may have a length corresponding to the height of the structure andmay be coiled in a manner similar to the staves illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7. C. Third Form of Filler: Hybrid I-I-Shape and T-Shape A portionof the filler member 170, illustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, is shapedsomewhat similarly to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, in that aportion of the filler member 170 is generally T-shaped in cross section,and includes an upright portion 172 and a generally semi-cylindricaltransversely extending head portion 174. Head portion 174 includeselongate surfaces l74b and 174c at opposite sides of upright portion172, and surfaces 174b and 174:: are adapted to be positioned in faceabutting engagement with the inner surfaces alongside the edges ofadjacent stave members 78. Upright portion 172 has a lengthcorresponding substantially to the thickness of stave members 78, sothat the outer surface 172a of portion 172 is positioned substantiallyflush with the outer surfaces of stave members 78. Vertically spaced,generally semi-cylindrical enlargements 176 are formed integrally withfiller member 170, and enlargements 176 each include a curved outersurface 176a, and flat inner surfaces 17612 and l76c at opposite sidesof upright portion 172. Surfaces 176b and 176a are positioned in spaced,generally parallel relationship to surfaces l74b and 1740, respectively,and said four surfaces cooperate with surfaces 172b and 172c to definelaterally open stave receiving notches 178. Surfaces 172b and 172c areadapted to be positioned in face abutting engagement with the outersurfaces alongside the edges of adjacent stave members 78; and surfaces174b, 1740, 176b and 176e, as well as the laterally outwardly facingsides of upright portion 172, may be provided with a suitable adhesivesubstance to create a sealed connection between the filler member 170,and the adjacent stave members 78. The major portion of the fillermember 170, at the enlargements 176, is generally I-I-shaped in crosssection like the embodiment of FIGS. 11-13, while the remainder of thefiller member 170 is T-shaped in cross section like the filler member ofFIGS. 23 and 24. The enlargements 176 preferably have inclined ends 180,so as to provide guide surfaces for facilitating the insertion of bands89 therebetween, it being understood that the enlargements 176 on thefiller members are aligned so as to collectively define band receivingnotches therebetween. IV. Assembly Generally To assemble a silostructure as illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of coil cradles 90 arepositioned around the periphery of base 52, with the holes 114 in theupright portions 112 of the coil cradles positioned in registry with theopenings 74 in the anchors 72, so that bolts 76 may be inserted throughthe aligned openings to removably mount the coil cradles upon the base52. As is clear from FIGS. 8 and 9, when the coil cradles 90 are inplace, the free ends 780 of the coiled staves 78 are positioned in acommon horizontal plane. After the coil cradles 90 are in place, roofstructure 56 is positioned on the upstanding ends 78a of the coiledstave members, and the roof structure is secured thereto by fasteners88, as is shown in FIG. 10. If the 2 A ft. filler member sections are tobe used, a first row of such sections is slid between the upstandingends 78a of adjacent stave members by placing the filler member sectionin one of the cored recesses 73 in the outer surface of base 52, andsliding the filler member upwardly until its upper end abuts roofstructure 56, or is positioned in alignment with the upper end of thestave members. In FIG. 10, a plurality of short length filler membersare illustrated between the free ends 780 of the stave members. Ifcontinuous filler members having the same length as the height of thestructure side wall are to be used, each filler member is coiled andmounted upon a cradle structure (similar to stave cradles 90) andmounted on the silo base 52, with the free ends of the filler membersinterposed between ad-jacent stave members. The partially assembled silostructure is then elevated by incrementally applying an upward force tothe structure, and compressive bands 89 are secured around the wallstructure at vertically spaced positions after each increment of forceis applied. A. First Means for Applying Incremental Force Pneumatic Afirst means for applying an incremental force to the partially assembledstructure of FIG. 10 is illustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35, and thearrangement of FIGS. 34 and 35 takes advantage of the fact that the siloside wall structure 54 is effectively sealed above the base 52, once thefiller members have been inserted. To this end, an upwardly open vessel254, having an upright side wall 256 and a bottom wall 258, ispositioned on the upper surface of base 52 and filled with water W. Aband 260 extends around the wall 256 to retain it upright, and tominimize the area of contact between the silo staves 78 and the sidewall 256 during elevation of the silo staves. As is clear from FIG. 35,only the upper portion 2560 of side wall 256 engages the staves 78, sothat the frictional drag of the side wall 256 upon the staves 78 duringelevation is minimized, and wearing of the side wall 256 is reduced. Airunder pressure is incrementally applied to the interior of the structurethrough a central tube 262, and after each increment, a compressive band89 is secured around the circumference of the wall structure.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, wherein the diameter ofbase 52 is 24 ft., base 52 has an approximate area of 65,000 squareinches. With a side wall structure formed of steel, the weight of thestructure to be elevated is less than 60,000 lbs.; (and is much less forstructures formed of aluminum or plastic reinforced with glass fibers),so that a pressure of less than 1 lb. per square inch is sufficient toelevate the silo structure. In order to stabilize the structure as it iselevated, four cables 264, 266, 268 and 270 are attached at 90increments around the crown of the roof structure 56, and each of thecables is connected to a common winch drum 282, driven by a motor unitM. Cable 264 is trained over a vertically arranged ground pulley 272,and cable 264 includes a horizontally disposed portion 264a that extendsthrough a diametric passage in the base 52 for connection to drum 282.Cables 266 and 268 are trained over respective ground pulleys 274 and278 that are inclined toward drum 282, and cables 266 and 268 includehorizontal portions 266a and 268a that are trained over horizontallydisposed pulleys 276 and 280 for guidance of the cables onto the drum282. As is seen in FIG. 35, cable 270 extends directly downwardly fromthe roof crown structure to the drum 282. With the cable stabilizingsystem, an air pressure in excess of that required to lift the silostructure can be tolerated, and the silo will rise only as rapidly asthe cables are reeled off of the drum 282. Thus, the air under pressuremay be constantly applied through pipe 262, and the motor means M may beperiodically braked to allow the vertically spaced bands 89 to beapplied.

Once the staves 78 have been completely uncoiled, suitable fasteners 81may be inserted and secured in the aligned openings 80 and 70 in thestaves 78 and the angle members 62, respectively, to positively securethe lower ends of the stave members to the silo base. The cradleassemblies 90 are then removed, and the cables 264, 266, 268 and 270 aredisconnected to complete the erection process. The attachment ofancillary equipment, such as ladders, valves, hatches, etc. preferablytakes place as the structure is elevated, but this equipment may beapplied after the structure is completely elevated, if desired. In anyevent, it will be appreciated that substantially all of the manual labormay take place at ground level, and that the conventional costly andclumsy staging equipment is eliminated.

B. Second Means for Applying Incremental ForcePlural Hydraulic Jacks Inthe arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 36 and 37, a plurality of pairs ofholes 284 are punched in vertically spaced, ofiset relation in each ofstave members 78, and lifting blocks 286 are secured to a plurality (butnot necessarily all) of staves 78 by fasteners 288 which impale openings284 in the staves and openings 290 in the lifting blocks. Each liftingblock 286 has an upright surface 292 in face abutting engagement withthe inner surface of a stave 78, an abutment portion 294 extending atright angles with respect to upright portion 292, and upright webs 296.The undersurface of each lifting block portion 294 is adapted to beengaged by the ram 298 of a jack 300, and the jacks 300 are preferablyconnected to a common source of fluid under pressure 302 by lines 304.Suitable valve means (not shown) are provided for incrementallyadmitting fluid under pressure to jacks 300 to extend rams 298 andelevate the silo side wall structure. In the arrangement illustrated inFIGS. 36 and 37, the tiller members between the adjacent staves 78 arecoiled in a manner similar to the coiling of staves 78, so that when thestaves are lifted, the filler members will wedge against adjacent stavemembers, so that the filler members and staves to which lifting blocks286 are not secured will be lifted by a wedging action along with thestaves 78 that are positively lifted. After each increment of liftingforce is applied, a compressive band 89 is secured around the peripheryof the partially elevated side wall structure, and a plurality of jacks300a are placed in engagement with a series of lower lifting blocks 286ato support the partially elevated silo structure. The uppermost liftingblocks 286 are then removed, and the holes 284 in the staves 78 aresealed, as by placing a round head bolt in the holes 284 and securing anut to the outer end thereof. The rams 2980 of the lower jacks 300a arethen actuated, and the procedure is repeated until the silo structure isfully elevated, at which time the lower ends of the staves 78 aresecured to the angle members 62 and the cradle assemblies for the stavesand filler members are removed. It will be understood, of course, that astabilizing system similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35 may beutilized in connection with the arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 36 and37, if desired.

C. Third Means for Applying Incremental F0rceUnwinding of Staves In theembodiment of FIGS. 38-40, the central roller 102 of one of the coilcradle assemblies 90 has a sprocket 308 fixed to one of its ends, and achain 310 is trained over sprocket 308 and over a further sprocket 314fixed to the output shaft of a motor and reduction gear box 312. Driveshafts 315 are directly coupled to the central roller 102 of each coilcradle, and drive shafts 315 are connected to one another by universaljoints 316, so that rotation of sprocket 308 will cause each of thecoiled stave members 78 to unwind. It will be understood, of course,that any of the rollers 100, 102 or 104, or combinations thereof, may bepowered and that the tendency of the coil staves 78 to revert to astraight line configuration will keep the staves in contact with all ofthe rollers for positive driving thereof. Suitable control means, notshown, are provided for intermittently operating motor 312, such thatthe silo side wall will be elevated in step-by-step fashion, with thecompressive bands 89 being applied after each increment of rotation ofmotor 312. As with the earlier embodiment, cable support means may beprovided to stabilize the silo structure during elevation, and thetiller members to be inserted between the staves 78 may be coiled andhave the same length as the staves 78, or may be short sections that areinserted between the staves after each lifting increment is applied.Since the end of the stave will pass the driven roll 102 of the poweredcoil cradle prior to the full elevation of the silo side wall structure,it is necessary that a jack arrangement, similar to that illustrated inFIGS. 37 and 37, be utilized to apply the last increment of liftingforce.

Alternatively the staves 78 may be so prestressed that they tend touncoil themselves, in a reverse action to that commonly found in steelmeasuring tapes which retract themselves within a casing. In that casethe motor 312 may be omitted, and a releasable brake means may be usedto permit the staves to extend themselves incrementally when the brakeis released.

D. Fourth Means for Applying Incremental Force Single Hydraulic J ackand Extensible Frames In the embodiment of FIGS. 41-43, a single jack318 is positioned in the central well 60 of base 52, and is connected bya line 320 to a suitable source of fluid under pressure forincrementally reciprocating the ram 322 of jack 318. A tripod assembly324 is positioned centrally on base 52, and the tripod assembly includesan annular support 326 resting upon the upper surface of base 52,upwardly extending inclined legs 328, and a cylindrical collar 330. Acentral column 331 is adapted to be lifted by jack 318 and apply anupward lifting force to the roof structure 56 of the silo through aspider assembly 332. Spider assembly 332 includes a plurality ofinclined arms 334 that extend outwardly from a central hub 336, and hub336 is adapted to be supported by the central column 331. Column 331 isformed of a plurality of individual sections 338, each having an opening349 therein. The ram 3220f jack 318 has a stroke sufficient to positionan opening (not shown) in each section 338 above the collar 330 oftripod assembly 324, so that a pin 342 may be removably inserted in theopening to temporarily support the section 338 upon the collar 330 ofthe tripod assembly. The pins 342 may be withdrawn after each additionalcolumn section 338 is elevated by the jack 318.

Means is provided for stabilizing the central column as it is elevated,and such means includes a plurality of tubular stabilizing members 344that extend radially outwardly from the central column 331, and at theends of which are pads 346 that bear on the wall structure 54 as themembers 344 are supported by chain or cable supports 348 secured to thespider assembly 332. Column sections 338 are provided with a series oftransverse holes 349 (FIG. 42) to removably mount the stabilizingmembers 344 upon the column 331, and to this end, a generally L-shapedmember 350 is secured to the inner end of each member 344, with theshank of each member 350 impaling an opening 349, and the hooked endportion 352 of member 350 being positioned inwardly of the columnsection 338. Braces 354 (FIG. 43) preferably extend between each of thestabilizing members 344 to retain them in proper spaced relation. Itwill be understood that each stroke of jack 318 will lift the roofstructure 56 a predetermined amount, and the staves will be pulled up bythis action. Coiled filler members are preferably used with theembodiments of FIGS. 41-43, and the filler members are also pulled upwith the staves 78 by a wedging action therebetween. When the wallstructure 54 is fully elevated, the internal staging is removed and thelower ends of the staves 78 are secured to the angle members 62. Thecircumferential bands, once they are tightened, will cause the partiallyelevated cylindrical structure to have self supporting structuralintegrity, even though the lower ends of the staves are unconnected, andthe banded staves serve to retain the column 331 in a substantiallystraight line relationship. An external cable system, similar to thatillustrated in FIGS. 34 and 35, may also be provided to furtherstabilize the structure.

One of the major advantages of the silo structure and process of thepresent invention is that the stave members 78 when coiled and mountedon the coil cradles 90 as illustrated in FIG. 6, can be convenientlystored and transported. For example, twelve 8' diameter coils, each inits own cradle 90, can be loaded side by side lengthwise of a 50 semitrailer, and this convenient transportation arrangement will not violatethe truck and weight limitations of any of the states in the Us.Furthermore, it has been determined that stave members of a limber sheetmaterial, such as metal, or plastic reinforced with glass fibers,one-fourth inch or five-sixteenths inch thick, can be coiled to an 8'diameter without imparting any substantial set to the stave members whenthey are uncoiled.

As a modification of the powered roller erection method illustrated inFIGS. 38-40, it is contemplated that the use of jacks, or the like, toapply the last increment of lift force may be eliminated. To this end,the vertical arcuate member 112 of the coil cradle 90 (FIGS. 6 and 7)may include two fairly widely spaced vertical legs, which would allow atail of reduced width at the end of the coiled stave 78 to be receivedbetween the vertical legs of member 112, while the tail is still inengagement with the powered roller. In this arrangement, after thestaves are elevated to the desired height and are fixed in place, thestave tails would extend below the upper surface of base 52, and wouldembrace the outer periphery of the base. The tail end of the stavescould either be tapered, or could be stepped directly to a reducedwidth, it being understood that the contemplated tail is long enough toallow the staves to be elevated to their full height to position theopenings 80 in alignment with the openings 70 in the angles 68. The tailof the modified stave members could also be provided with openings, andanchors, such as anchors 72, could be provided in the base 52 to receivefasteners, such as bolts 76, to secure the stave tails to the baseadjacent to grade line.

We claim:

1. The method of constructing a permanent storage structure comprisingthe steps of:

a. providing a fixed, permanent base;

b. assembling a plurality of long, narrow wall staves around theperimeter of said base with their lateral edges in juxtaposition withone another so that they surround the base, each of said staves beingcoiled about a transverse axis so as to occupy a generally cylindricalspace;

c. partially uncoiling said staves so that a free end of each of saidstaves extends vertically upwardly and terminates in a common horizontalplane with the free ends of the other staves;

d. assembling a roof structure on the free ends of said staves to securesaid free ends together;

e. applying an upward force to the coiled staves to simultaneouslyunroll said staves thereby elevating the free ends of said staves andsaid roof; and

f. securing the lower ends of said staves permanently to said base.

2. The method of claim 1 which includes the step of transverselyprecurving said staves prior to their assembly around the structurebase.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said upward force is incrementallyapplied, and including the steps of securing a compressive member aroundthe perimeter of said staves after each force increment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said upward force is applied by drivingthe coil of at least one of said coiled staves, with the non-drivencoils being coupled to the driven coil so that all of said staves areelevated simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said upward force is applied to saidroof structure.

6. The method of claim 5 including the step of erecting a tower abovesaid base inwardly of said staves, and applying said upward force tosaid roof structure from said tower.

7. The method of claim 5 including maintaining said base, staves, androof structure in a substantially sealed condition, and applying saidupward force to said roof structure by introducing fluid under pressurebeneath said roof structure.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of sealing a filler memberbetween each pair of adjacent staves as the staves are elevated.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the filler members are precoiled andassembled around the perimeter of the base between the coiled staves,and are elevated continuously with the staves.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the filler members are in shortsegments, the upward force is incrementally applied, and a segment isinserted between adjacent staves in conjunction with each incrementalapplication of force.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the filler members are hollow, and asetting flowable material is injected into the filler members after theyare assembled with the staves.

12. The method of constructing a permanent storage structure comprisingthe steps of:

a. providing a fixed, permanent base;

b. assembling a plurality of long, narrow transversely precurved wallstaves around the perimeter of said base with their lateral edges injuxtaposition with one another so that they surround the base, each ofsaid staves being coiled about a transverse axis so as to occupy agenerally cylindrical space;

c. partially uncoiling said staves so that a free end of each staveextends vertically upwardly and terminates in a common horizontal planewith the free ends of the other staves;

d. assembling a plurality of coiled filler members around the perimeterof said base, one filler member being provided between each two adjacentstaves;

bers and roof structure;

. securing additional compressive members around the perimeter of saidstaves and filler members at vertically spaced positions after eachincrement of upward force is applied; and

. securing the lower ends of said staves permanently to said base.

* I =0 t l

1. The method of constructing a permanent storage structure comprisingthe steps of: a. providing a fixed, permanent base; b. assembling aplurality of long, narrow wall staves around the perimeter of said basewith their lateral edges in juxtaposition with one another so that theysurround the base, each of said staves being coiled about a transverseaxis so as to occupy a generally cylindrical space; c. partiallyuncoiling said staves so that a free end of each of said staves extendsvertically upwardly and terminates in a common horizontal plane with thefree ends of the other staves; d. assembling a roof structure on thefree ends of said staves to secure said free ends together; e. applyingan upward force to the coiled staves to simultaneously unroll saidstaves thereby elevating the free ends of said staves and said roof; andf. securing the lower ends of said staves permanently to said base. 2.The method of claim 1 which includes the step of transversely precurvingsaid staves prior to their assembly around the structure base.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 in which said upward force is incrementally applied,and including the steps of securing a compressive member around theperimeter of said staves after each force increment.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said upward force is applied by driving the coil of atleast one of said coiled staves, with the non-driven coils being coupledto the driven coil so that all of said staves are elevatedsimultaneously.
 5. The method of claim 1 in which said upward force isapplied to said roof structure.
 6. The method of claim 5 including thestep of erecting a tower above said base inwardly of said staves, andapplying said upward force to said roof structure from said tower. 7.The method of claim 5 including maintaining said base, staves, and roofstructure in a substantially sealed condition, and applying said upwardforce to said roof structure by introducing fluid under pressure beneathsaid roof structure.
 8. The method of claim 1 including the step ofsealing a filler member between each pair of adjacent staves as thestaves are elevated.
 9. The method of claim 8 in which the fillermembers are precoiled and assembled around the perimeter of the basebetween the coiled staves, and are elevated continuously with thestaves.
 10. The method of claim 8 in which the filler members are inshort segments, the upward force is incrementally applied, and a segmentis inserted between adjacent staves in conjunction with each incrementalapplication of force.
 11. The method of claim 8 in which the fillermembers are hollow, and a setting flowable material is injected into thefiller members after they are assembled with the staves.
 12. The methodof constructing a permanent storage structure comprising the steps of:a. providing a fixed, permanent base; b. assembling a plurality of long,narrow transversely pre-curved wall staves around the perimeter of saidbase with their lateral edges in juxtaposition with one another so thatthey surround the base, each of said staves being coiled about atransverse axis so as to occupy a generally cylindrical space; c.partially uncoiling said staves so that a free end of each stave extendsvertically upwardly and terminates in a common horizontal plane with thefree ends of the other staves; d. assembling a plurality of coiledfIller members around the perimeter of said base, one filler memberbeing provided between each two adjacent staves; e. inserting the freeend of each filler member between the free ends of adjacent staves; f.securing a compressive member around the perimeter of said staves andfiller members; g. assembling a roof structure to the free ends of saidstaves; h. incrementally applying an upward force to the assembledstructure to unroll the coiled staves and filler members therebyelevating the free ends of said staves, filler members and roofstructure; i. securing additional compressive members around theperimeter of said staves and filler members at vertically spacedpositions after each increment of upward force is applied; and j.securing the lower ends of said staves permanently to said base.